B-17 News Updated
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aerovin2
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B-17 News Updated
An October 2006 B-17 News update has just been posted. A fair amount of material is included from a variety of sources and on a variety of B-17s. Check it out at http://www.aerovintage.com/b17news.htm.
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DIK SHEPHERD
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:54 pm
- Location: California
I just looked at the updates and there's one photo I need to comment about.
The picture of the instrument display is not what is put out by the guy that has it. He claims that he built it himself and that's a lie.
The unit was put together back in about 1992, or so, by two guys. One, named Mike Ripley, claimed ownership even though the other, named Dave Webster, did the majority of the work on it.
The panel itself is a replica, made by a guy named Kevin Gray, and some of the instruments were supplied by me. The control columns, center console, foot peddles and some of the other things came from the B-17 at Tulare, where Ripley conned them from the people responsible for that aircraft. They allowed Ripley and Webster to remove the stuff under the impression that they would be able to use the display whenever they wanted.
Ripley and I used to do equipment and material displays at airshows and for veteran's groups, and the instrument panel was a big part of the displays. Then one day Ripley disappeared, with a bunch of my stuff. My only point of contact with him was his wife's mother and when I told her that I was going to call the police, Ripley showed up at my front door with some of my stuff, but not all of it.
I asked him about the panel display, and a couple of 500 lb. practice bombs that belonged to me, and he told me that he sold them, but didn't say to who. He also said that he sold some other things that belonged to me.
After his visit to my home he and his wife skipped out of the state and I haven't seen him since. I was told that he was somewhere in Ohio, he supposedly had a friend that worked at the Air Force Museum, and he always wanted to be connected with it. But, strangely enough I was looking through the pictures of the "MY GAL SAL" website and, lo-and-behold, there's a picture of the instrument panel display and my two 500 lb. bombs.
Thinking that I might be able to track down Ripley, I emailed the "SAL's" website and got the owner, who stated that he built the display himself and that he didn't know anyone named Ripley. I described Ripley to him and he still claimed not to know anyone like that.
We got into a bit of a pissing contest, with him calling me names and my calling him a liar, amongst other things, and that was that. Afterwards the website pretty much went dead.
I found out later that Ripley returned to California, but refuses to talk to me or any of the other people that associated with him before.
The picture of the instrument display is not what is put out by the guy that has it. He claims that he built it himself and that's a lie.
The unit was put together back in about 1992, or so, by two guys. One, named Mike Ripley, claimed ownership even though the other, named Dave Webster, did the majority of the work on it.
The panel itself is a replica, made by a guy named Kevin Gray, and some of the instruments were supplied by me. The control columns, center console, foot peddles and some of the other things came from the B-17 at Tulare, where Ripley conned them from the people responsible for that aircraft. They allowed Ripley and Webster to remove the stuff under the impression that they would be able to use the display whenever they wanted.
Ripley and I used to do equipment and material displays at airshows and for veteran's groups, and the instrument panel was a big part of the displays. Then one day Ripley disappeared, with a bunch of my stuff. My only point of contact with him was his wife's mother and when I told her that I was going to call the police, Ripley showed up at my front door with some of my stuff, but not all of it.
I asked him about the panel display, and a couple of 500 lb. practice bombs that belonged to me, and he told me that he sold them, but didn't say to who. He also said that he sold some other things that belonged to me.
After his visit to my home he and his wife skipped out of the state and I haven't seen him since. I was told that he was somewhere in Ohio, he supposedly had a friend that worked at the Air Force Museum, and he always wanted to be connected with it. But, strangely enough I was looking through the pictures of the "MY GAL SAL" website and, lo-and-behold, there's a picture of the instrument panel display and my two 500 lb. bombs.
Thinking that I might be able to track down Ripley, I emailed the "SAL's" website and got the owner, who stated that he built the display himself and that he didn't know anyone named Ripley. I described Ripley to him and he still claimed not to know anyone like that.
We got into a bit of a pissing contest, with him calling me names and my calling him a liar, amongst other things, and that was that. Afterwards the website pretty much went dead.
I found out later that Ripley returned to California, but refuses to talk to me or any of the other people that associated with him before.